Death's human shroud : an interdisciplinary journey through the realm of death personification

Abstract

This thesis comprises a novel and exegesis that aims to start a conversation about the personification of death. Working from an interdisciplinary perspective, I consider the following questions: how did death personification come about? What function does it serve? And how has Death been personified in popular works of fiction? In my exegesis, I argue that the personification of death is a useful outlet for agency and expression, reflecting an ever-evolving understanding of the concept of death. Taking on an experimental approach, I have structured the exegesis as a symbolic journey through the 'underworld' of death personification: a mythical map of concentric circles that represent levels of discourse, discipline, and/or text as they relate to the figuration of death. I begin by considering death-denial theory and its impact on the literature that informs my thesis. I draw upon the insights of Robert Kastenbaum, Edgar Herzog, and Karl S. Guthke, exploring the notion that humankind has an innate desire to construct images and stories around Death. I then turn to close readings of Martine Leavitt's Keturah and Lord Death (2012), Sir Terry Pratchett's Mort (2004), and Markus Zusak's The Book Thief (2013) to consider how these novels explore the subject of death through Death as a character. Although this thesis is not an encyclopaedic overview of death personification, this area of research has informed my understanding and characterisation of Death in my novel. I argue for the need to explore new stories that feature death personification not only to bring attention to its capacity as an outlet for agency and expression, but to extend the conversations around death that still prove difficult in both public and private circles. The thesis ends with my creative work, Westall, a dark fantasy novel about a young woman whose life is thrown into chaos after meeting a figure who she eventually learns is Death.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	English